Wigger (song)

Last updated
"Wigger"
Anouk Wigger.jpeg
Single by Anouk
from the album Paradise and Back Again
Released13 September 2013
Length3:28
Label Goldilox, Universal Music Group
Songwriters Anouk, Tore Johansson
Producer Instead of Production
Anouk singles chronology
"Pretending as Always"
(2013)
"Wigger"
(2013)
"You & I"
(2014)

"Wigger" is a song by Dutch musician Anouk. It was released on 13 September 2013 as the lead single from her ninth studio album, Paradise and Back Again.

Contents

The song is titled after a portmanteau of the racial classification "white" and the racial slur "nigger", with the titular phrase often used to label a white person who emulates Black culture.

Background

The song was released a few months after Anouk finished ninth at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Birds". "Wigger" was immediately picked up by Dutch radio stations including Radio 538 and NPO 3FM. [1] At the time, her husband was Remon Stotijn, a Surinamese-born Dutch singer who fathered three of her four children. In the song, the lyrics refer to "my kids' brown sugared skin." [2] The song was immediately controversial, with a Dutch blogger releasing a YouTube video declaring that well-intentioned or not, it's still a racist word. [3]

In response to the criticism, Anouk wrote a message on Facebook where she gave the Wikipedia definition of the title and concluded, "We do after all live in a world where we are inspired regardless of skin colour or gender! So I’ve come to the conclusion it’s all bullshit. I am what I am. A true blond, proud wigger & honestly it suits me better (than) anyone else, doesn’t it?" [4] She also did a further interview with 3FM DJ Giel Beelen where she said that Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus were other individuals who submerge themselves in black music and culture. [5]

Personnel

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Wigger"
Chart (2013)Peak
position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [6] 17
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [7] 16
Year-end chart performance for "Wigger"
Chart (2013)Position
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [8] 98

References

  1. "'Wigger' van Anouk is 3FM Megahit". NPO 3FM (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  2. London, Stephane (2013-09-11). "Eurovision "Wigger" Anouk makes the headlines in the Netherlands. - ESCToday.com". Eurovision News, Polls and Information by ESCToday. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  3. Bossema, Wim (2013-11-06). "Afrikadag: 'Het stereotype beeld van de vrolijke zwarte man overheerst'". De Volkskrant .
  4. Granger, Anthony (2013-09-11). "New Releases: Anouk's New Song "Wigger"". Eurovoix. Retrieved 2026-01-19.
  5. eurovisionireland (2013-09-17). "NETHERLANDS : Anouk defends her new song "Wigger"". Eurovision Ireland. Retrieved 2026-01-17.
  6. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Anouk" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  7. "Anouk – Wigger" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  8. "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 2013". Dutch Top 40 . Retrieved 12 December 2019.